Department for Transport

Railways: Pensions

Baroness Clark of Kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they plan to have with the general secretaries of the trade unions which represent workers in the railway sector about the Railways Pension Scheme.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HMG has had contact with the rail trade unions’ General Secretaries regarding the Railways Pension Scheme, but at present has no future plans for discussion.

Crossrail 2 Line: Railway Stations

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with Transport for London on plans for a Chelsea station on King's Road in proposals for Crossrail 2; and whether such plans are still included in the latest proposals.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Given current affordability constraints, TfL have confirmed that they are not in a position to prioritise investment in Crossrail 2. In the funding agreement reached with the Mayor and TfL on 31 October 2020 it was agreed to prioritise safeguarding activity for the project. The Department for Transport and TfL are now in discussion on updating the safeguarding of the route for the project.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health Act 1983 Independent Review

Baroness Thornhill: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they monitor progress in implementing the recommendations of the final report of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983 Modernising the Mental Health Act: increasing choice, reducing compulsion, published on 6 December 2018; and what plans they have to report to Parliament on progress made.

Lord Bethell: We remain committed to publishing a White Paper which will set out the Government’s response to Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983 and pave the way for reform of the Act. We aim to publish before the end of the year.

Mental Health Services: Coronavirus

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support people suffering from mental health problems either caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Bethell: We recognise the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental wellbeing, potentially leading to the onset of new mental health difficulties as well as exacerbating existing problems. We have released tailored guidance on the ‘Every Mind Matters’ website and GOV.UK giving advice and practical steps for people to support their mental health and wellbeing.National Health Service mental health services have remained open for business throughout this time, including delivering support digitally and by phone. For those with severe needs or in crisis, NHS mental health providers have set up 24 hours, seven days a week urgent mental health helplines. We have also provided over £10 million funding for mental health charities supporting people through the pandemic.We remain committed to investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year into mental health services by 2023-24 through the NHS Long Term Plan.

Au Pairs: Spain

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Spanish au pairs will (1) be covered by UK–Spainreciprocal healthcare arrangements after 1 January 2021, or (2) require separate health insurance to work in the UK.

Lord Bethell: Regardless of any future healthcare arrangements, people who have moved to the United Kingdom or European Union before 31 December 2020, will continue to have life-long reciprocal healthcare rights provided they remain covered under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement. This means existing healthcare arrangements will not change for those UK nationals who are resident in EU and EU citizens in the UK before 31 December 2020, for as long as they are living in that country and covered by the agreement.For people not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and EU are subject to negotiations, which are ongoing.The UK has set out that it is ready to work to establish practical, reciprocal healthcare provisions with the EU for the future. The UK is open to arrangements that provide healthcare cover for tourists, short-term business visitors and service providers. These arrangements could benefit UK nationals and EU citizens travelling or moving between the UK.

Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure the timely (1) supply, and (2) transit, of replacement radiotherapy machine parts into the UK following 31 December.

Lord Bethell: The Department, in consultation with the devolved administrations and Crown Dependencies, is working with trade bodies, product suppliers, and the health and care system to make detailed plans to help ensure continued supply of medicines, medical products and equipment to the whole of the United Kingdom at the end of the transition period.

Intensive Care: Older People

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether hospitals in England used the triage tool to assess whether to admit elderly patients to intensive care between March and August; if so, whether age was the only criteria used to make such assessments; what assessment they have made of the impact of that system on the provision of care to all those that needed it; and who (1) devised, and (2) authorised, that tool.

Lord Bethell: Claims that frail and elderly patients were denied care in wave one of the coronavirus pandemic, in part because of a triage tool which was developed for use if the National Health Service was overwhelmed, are categorically untrue. Guidance to help clinicians make rational, evidence-based decisions in the event of intensive care units being overwhelmed was commissioned by the NHS England National Medical Director and the four United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers but work was halted when it became clear the NHS would not be overwhelmed.

Gender Recognition: Health Services

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current waiting time forNHS patientsto receive(1)anassessment, and (2) treatment, in relation to gender identity services;what was the maximum waiting time for such treatment before the COVID-19 pandemic; whether the current waiting time has decreased in the last three months; and what steps they are taking to clear the backlog ofthose waiting for treatment.

Lord Bethell: We currently do not routinely collect data on the number of patients waiting and maximum waiting times for gender identity clinics.Data in October 2019, which informed the work programme aimed at improving access to gender services, showed there were more than 9,500 individuals waiting for a first appointment. Of this, approximately 3,400 individuals had been waiting between 52 and 103 weeks; and circa 2,100 individuals had been waiting for over two years. The median waiting time for a first appointment is more than two years for patients who were referred in October 2019.To address this rise in demand, three new services have been established in Cheshire and Merseyside, Manchester and London. These services will be evaluated as pilots for a new delivery model, with planning underway for further services to be establish nationwide.

Mental Health Services: Coronavirus

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of modelling by the Centre for Mental Health which indicates that up to 10 million people in England, including 1.5 million children and young people, will need new or additional mental health support as a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic; what plans they have to consult (1) the NHS, and (2) local authorities, about this issue; and what assessment they have made of the funding required to meet mental health support needs.

Lord Bethell: We are considering the Centre for Mental Health modelling report as well as other relevant emerging evidence as part of our ongoing monitoring of the potential impact of COVID-19 on mental health.We recognise that there is the potential for the COVID-19 pandemic to impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing. As such, we are working with the National Health Service, Public Health England and others, including local authorities to gather evidence and assess the potential longer-term mental health impacts of COVID-19.As part of our plans for the NHS, as set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, there will be a comprehensive expansion and transformation of mental health services over the next five years with additional funding of £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24. Over half of this will go to improving community mental health services and services to help people experiencing mental health crises.

NHS: Discrimination

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a formal definition of racism and discrimination for the NHS.

Lord Bethell: The statutory definition of racism is set out in the Equality Act 2010 (section 9). Key statutory definitions of discrimination are set out in sections 13, 19, 26 and 27 of the same Act.There are no plans, of which we are aware, to introduce different formal definitions of racism or discrimination for the National Health Service that would differ from the statutory definitions.

Coronavirus: Disinformation

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the human cost of misinformation spread by social media during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what estimate they have made, if any, ofthe number of people whodid not follow public health guidance as a result of social media posts which shared misinformation about the pandemic whosubsequently required treatment for COVID-19.

Lord Bethell: The Department has made no specific assessment.

Department for Education

Pupils: Quarantine

Lord Baker of Dorking: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students at (1) secondary schools, (2) sixth forms, and (3) University Technical Colleges, did not attend in the week ending 16 October because they were isolating or quarantined; and how many of those students had access to a computer and an internet connection to facilitate remote learning.

Baroness Berridge: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to question HL9006, available here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-10-12/hl9006.Keeping close track of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools is a priority for the Government. Public Health England (PHE) leads in holding data on infection, incidence and COVID-19 cases overall. PHE have published data on COVID-19 incidents by institution, including educational settings. This data is updated weekly and the most recent data can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reports.The Department collects data on the number of schools that have indicated that they have sent children home due to COVID-19 containment measures. We are currently looking at the quality of that data with a view to publishing it as part of the official statistics series. The series includes published data on school openings and attendance, which shows that at a national level approximately 99.7% of state funded schools were open as of 15 October. Of the small proportion (0.3%) of schools that were closed on 15 October, almost all were due to COVID-19 related reasons. Approximately 89% of all children on roll in all state funded schools were in attendance on 15 October. This data is updated weekly and can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.The Department does not hold data on the number of students self-isolating who do not have access to a computer and an internet connection.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review: Expenditure

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the implications of the decision to conduct a one-year spending review for the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In light of the decision to move to a one-year spending review, the Government is considering the implications for the completion of the Integrated Review and will provide an update in due course.

China: Iran

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the implications of the Iran-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for (1) the UK, and (2) the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We understand that the media reporting that the Iran-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has been finalised is premature. Until final details of the deal become public, we are unable to make a full assessment of the implications. Our priority remains to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. We remain committed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) however Iran's continued reduction in compliance has seriously undermined the non-proliferation benefits of the deal. To preserve it Iran must engage with the JCPoA's Joint Commission and Dispute Resolution Mechanism (which we triggered with E3 partners on 14 January) and return to compliance.

Maher al-Akhras

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel for the release on medical and compassionate grounds of Maher al-Akhras.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Officials in Tel Aviv have raised this case with the Government of Israel. We remain concerned about Israel's extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure. We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and either charge or release detainees.

Ibrahim Mounir

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the appointment of Ibrahim Mounir to the role of Acting General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood; and what assessment they have made of any threat posed by his presence (1)to national security, and (2) to their international relations.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We do not comment on individuals, but the Government keeps under review the views promoted and activities undertaken by the Muslim Brotherhood, including their associates in the UK. Any allegations of threats to UK national security or misuse of charity funding within the UK are robustly investigated and appropriate action taken.

China: Coronavirus

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 October (HL8918), what assessment they have made of any difficulties in reconciling the objective for a full investigation into the origins of COVID-19, with the statement that the overnment of China "has to be part of the solution".

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It remains important that there is a full and robust international investigation into the origins of Covid-19, to understand why the outbreak happened, why it was not stopped earlier and what can be done to manage any outbreak in the future. Work is underway on the review and investigation into the origins of the virus as agreed by the World Health Assembly in May. We will continue to work closely with the WHO and international partners, including China, to ensure that it is independent, evidence-based, transparent and rigorous so that the right lessons are learned. This is consistent with recognition that China is an important member of the international community. Its size, rising economic power and influence make it an important partner in tackling the biggest global challenges, including global health issues.

China: Uighurs

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the decision of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the Canadian Parliament to designate actions by the government of China against its Uyghur population to be a genocide; and what plans they have, if any, to enable an appropriate judicial authority in the UK (1) to consider the same evidence, and (2) to reach a determination, on this matter.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the decision of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the Canadian Parliament. It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide have occurred is a matter for independent judicial decision. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations of international law, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes.

National Crime Agency: Overseas Aid

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 May (HL4189), how many successful applications were made to the Integrated Activity Fund by the National Crime Agency in the 2019/20 financial year; and what was the value of each of those applications.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We do not disclose information related to IAF projects to maintain the confidence and confidentiality of our Gulf partners.

Government Departments: Overseas Aid

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 May (HL4189),which Government departments applied to the Integrated Activity Fund for funding during the (1) 2016/17, (2) 2018/19, and (3) 2020/21, financial years; and which of those applications were granted.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Integrated Activity Fund (IAF) was managed by the Cabinet Office during 2016/17 and detailed information is not held by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. In 2018/19 the IAF received applications for funding from a number of government departments. The IAF was replaced by the Gulf Strategy Fund for 2020/21. Applications for funding were received from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Trade, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, HM Revenue & Customs and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). Funding for DCMS was not approved.

China: Taiwan

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien to the Aspen Security Forum on 16 October, what is their strategic assessment of the prospects of offensive action by the government of China against Taiwan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are concerned by any action which raises tensions in the Taiwan Strait and risks destabilising the status quo. Her Majesty's Government continues to monitor the situation closely, and considers the Taiwan issue one to be settled by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue.

Thailand: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recent pro-democracy protests in Thailand, what is their assessment of the current political situation in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are following the protests in Thailand closely. The UK believes that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental freedom that should be guaranteed in democratic societies. We continue to urge restraint and proportionality in any response to peaceful protest, encourage all sides to respect the rule of law and basic freedoms, and refrain from violence. It is vital that political space in Thailand can be maintained so that a peaceful and productive dialogue can take place.To that extent, we welcomed the lifting of the Declaration of the Serious Emergency Situation in Bangkok on 22 October, and the announcement of a dedicated Parliamentary session on 26 and 27 October. We hope that these will meaningfully address the concerns of the protesters.

West Bank: Housing

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised objections to the approval of new settlement homes in the West Bank with the government of Israel; what assessment they have made, if any, of the number of new settlement homes that have been advanced in the West Bank this year; and what is their assessment of the impact of the increase in new settlement building on prospects for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We consistently call for an immediate end to all actions that undermine the viability of the two-state solution, including settlement expansion within the West Bank. As the UK made clear on 16 October, in a joint statement alongside France, Germany, Italy and Spain, we are deeply concerned by the recent decision taken by the Israeli authorities to advance more than 4,900 settlement building units in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concern with the Government of Israel on 13 October, alongside European partners. The UK's position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. Settlement expansion is also a counterproductive move in light of the positive developments of normalisation agreements reached between Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan. We urge Israel to halt settlement expansion immediately. We are encouraging both sides to maintain calm and avoid taking actions which make peace more difficult to achieve.

Iraq and Syria: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review (1) al-Hol camp, and (2) other displaced persons camps in north-east Syria and Iraq, with regard to (a) the work of government authorities, (b) the work of the UN and other voluntary agencies, (c) the return home of displaced persons, (d) the resettlement elsewhere of displaced persons, and (e) the most effective use of aid.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK regularly tracks the situation at Al Hol and other internally displaced persons' (IDP) camps, and we are aware of the Syrian Democratic Council's (SDC) announcement on 4 October, regarding reintegrating Syrians from Al Hol camp into local communities. We understand these transfers will take place gradually, and are raising with the SDC the need to ensure returns are voluntary, informed and in line with International Humanitarian Law. The UK continues to support IDP/refugee camps in North East Syria, funding UN agencies and NGO partners to provide life-saving aid such as food, water and shelter. The UK has committed £33 million to help humanitarian agencies respond to the COVID-19 threat in Syria, including in IDP camps where cramped, challenging conditions make social distancing and cleaning measures difficult to implement. The FCDO has rigorous and robust checks to ensure aid goes to the people that need it, delivers value for money and protects against aid diversion. We also use third-party independent monitors to support our delivery partners and verify that aid is being delivered as intended.In Iraq, there are up to 252,000 people living in IDP camps, which we continue to support with shelter, medical care and clean water. We are concerned about recent camp closures in Baghdad, and continue to raise this with the authorities and UN leadership. We are working closely with the Government of Iraq and the UN to support durable solutions for those displaced by conflict which are safe, voluntary, sustainable, and non-discriminatory.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Office for Environmental Protection: Finance

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer fromLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 19 October (HL8726),whether the Office of Environmental Protection will be granted additional resources to deal with any backlog of complaints occuring following the delay in its establishment.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: As specified in the Environment Bill, the Secretary of State will provide the OEP with the resources that he considers reasonably sufficient to enable the OEP to carry out its functions. This will include consideration of what resources the OEP will need to handle complaints, including those passed to it from the interim arrangements. Defra will agree the OEP’s resourcing with HM Treasury through a budget that will be announced after the Environment Bill achieves Royal Assent.

Office for Environmental Protection: Finance

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer fromLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 19 October (HL8726),whether the interim Office of Environmental Protection will have the resources to begin to investigate complaints prior to the granting of formal powers to do so when it is established in law.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Members of the public will be able to submit complaints about alleged failures of public authorities to comply with environmental law to Defra's interim environmental governance secretariat from the start of next year until the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) begins its statutory functions. The secretariat will assess complaints received against the criteria specified in the Environment Bill to determine if they will fall within the remit of possible investigation by the OEP. The secretariat will have the resources to conduct these processes, interacting with the complainants and public authorities in question to gather further information where needed. It will assess the information received and pass it on to the OEP once established, so that the OEP can determine which complaints to consider further through the exercise of its legal functions including formal investigations and, where necessary, enforcement.

Environment Protection

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 19 October (HL8726),what will be the status of environmental complaints involving the UK currently under consideration by the EU if they are unresolved when the transition period ends on 1 January 2021.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Unresolved environmental complaints that are currently under consideration can continue to be considered by the EU after the transition period. As specified in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, with limited exceptions the Commission will continue to be competent for administrative procedures initiated before the end of the transition period, and the EU Court of Justice will continue to have jurisdiction over such cases. In addition, the withdrawal agreement includes a further four years from the end of the transition period, during which the Commission may bring cases before the Court of Justice for alleged infringements of EU law that occurred before the end of the transition period.

Home Office

Law Enforcement Data Service

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is the Director of the National Law Enforcement Data Programme.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Steve Thomson is the Programme Director for the National Law Enforcement Data Programme

Police National Computer

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Police National Computer (PNC) was last unavailable to police forces in England and Wales due to a power outage at the PNC Data Centre at Hendon; and how long it took to restore the PNC to normal service.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Prior to the power outage experienced this week, the previous occasion when we believe PNC would have been unavailable to police forces in England and Wales due to a power outage would have been on 21st June 2012. It took approximately 339 minutes to restore service.

Police: Recruitment

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the age profile of those recruited through their campaign to recruit 20,000 new police officers.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is delivering on the people’s priorities by recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers over the next three years.The 20,000 officer uplift is a once in a generation opportunity to enable all forces become more representative of the communities they serve. We are already seeing applications from a wide range of candidates with diverse backgrounds and from a range of ages who are bringing particular skills and experience to the police service.Amendments to Police Regulations made this year mean that individuals can apply to join the police at 17 years of age for appointment on reaching 18 years, opening the way for more candidates wishing to apply to join the police.

Police

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to ensure that workforce representation in policing reflects the communities in which officers will serve.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The police officer workforce is more diverse than ever before. The most recently published Police Officer Uplift data show that as at 30 June 2020 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic officers represented 7.4% of all police officers.The Government has been clear that forces must do more to become representative of the communities they serve. Attracting a broad range of talent, cultures and backgrounds to a career in policing is a core ambition in our drive to recruit 20,000 extra police officers.We are supporting forces with a variety of attraction and recruitment strategies, whilst delivering a campaign that’s been designed to reach the widest and most diverse audience possible including those who have never considered a policing career.Innovative schemes such as Police Now are making the police workforce more diverse than ever before; showing that we can attract the brightest and best into policing, whilst introducing new perspectives into policing some of the country’s most challenging neighbourhoods.Retention and progression also play a crucial role, particularly in enabling officers and staff to move into more senior and more specialised ranks and roles.

Police: Recruitment

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in their campaign to recruit 20,000 new police officers.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As at 30 June 2020, 4,336 additional officers have been recruited towards the target of 20,000 and will be trained to rise to the policing challenges of the future.All forces have prioritised recruitment. I am extremely grateful to those brave men and women who have signed up to join the police and keep our communities safe.The next official data will be published on 29 October.

Cabinet Office

Leader of the House of Commons: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are in the Office of the Leader of the House of Commonsat (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Lord True: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.I refer the noble Lady to the answer given to PQs HL8861 and HL8862 as below -Cross civil service information can be found at the Diversity and Inclusion dashboard at: https://public.tableau.com/profile/cabinet.office.diversity.and.inclusion#!/vizhome/CivilServiceDiversityandInclusiondashboard/Introduction?publish=yesAs the dashboard’s data tables show 7% of Cabinet Office Senior Civil Servants declared that they were from an ethinic minority.18% of Cabinet Office overall civil servants declare that they are from an ethnic minority. Details of individual grades will not be disclosed to avoid identifying individuals.

Treasury

Holiday Accommodation: Taxation

Baroness Gardner of Parkes: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports that AirBnB will share data with HMRC about the earnings of hostsin the UKfor the years 2017/18 and 2018/19, what steps they are taking to ensure all short term letting agencies do the same; and what plans they have to sharethis data with local councils to ensure properties in their areas are let foronly 90 days of short term lettings a year.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) receive data routinely from a variety of sources. This data supports compliance activity to reduce the size of the gap between the tax which is owed and that which is paid.HMRC understand that the short-term property letting market is a rapidly evolving sector and are working in partnership with companies such as Airbnb to address the tax consequences of these changes, supporting taxpayers in ensuring they are aware of their tax obligations and pay the right tax at the right time.HMRC are bound by a strict duty of confidentiality as laid down in the Commissioners for Revenue & Customs Act (CRCA) 2005 with respect to all of the information they hold in connection with their functions. HMRC officials may share information only in the limited circumstances set out in legislation, which include disclosures for the purposes of HMRC’s functions, through specific information sharing legislative gateways.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Baroness Barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they ceased publication of Coronavirus Job Retention Schemedata by local authority area in May 2020.

Baroness Barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to publish Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme data by local authority area from May 2020 onwards.

Baroness Barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to publish Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme data by UK Parliamentary constituency.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: HM Revenue and Customs published statistics on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in August 2020 which included a breakdown of the number of employments furloughed at both local authority and Parliamentary constituency level. Those statistics provided figures on the cumulative total number of employments furloughed at any time between March 2020 and June 2020 by local authority and Parliamentary constituency. In addition to this, the latest issue of these statistics, published in October 2020, included data on the number of jobs furloughed at local authority and Parliamentary constituency level as at 31 August. Both of these breakdowns also split the figures for each area by gender and are based on claims received until the end of September. Both of these statistics releases can be found on the Internet at the addresses in the footnote to this answer. HMRC published local authority and Parliamentary constituency breakdowns in the June, July and August CJRS statistics, but these were temporarily removed from the September release. HMRC did not cease publication of these statistics in May. The temporary removal of the local authority and Parliamentary constituency breakdowns from the September release was done in order to enable the statistics to be released in a timely manner, while dealing with the additional work associated with substantial changes to the data and the statistics following the introduction of the flexible furlough element of the job retention scheme. HMRC continue to monitor the use of these statistics and make improvements as necessary. Footnote text:August 2020 Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-august-2020October 2020 CJRS statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-october-2020

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Finance

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of the financial position of the grassroots sports sector.

Baroness Barran: Sports and physical activity providers and facilities are at the heart of our communities, and play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, which many sport clubs have benefited from. An income scheme announced in July by the Secretary of State for Local Government, aims to support local authorities who have incurred irrecoverable loss of income from sales, fees and charge which they had reasonably budgeted for. On 22 October, the Government announced a £100m support fund for local authority leisure centres. In addition, Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has also provided £210 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic.We are continuing to work with organisations to understand what they need and how we may be able to support them.

Television Licences: Concessions

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the removal of the TV licence concession for the over-75s on their loneliness strategy.

Baroness Barran: The future of the over 75s concession is the responsibility of the BBC, not of the government. The government is disappointed with the BBC's decision to restrict the over 75 licence fee concession to only those in receipt of pension credit. We recognise the value of free TV licences for over-75s and believe they should be funded by the BBC. The BBC must ensure that it supports those affected by its decision and we expect it to do so with the utmost sensitivity.More broadly, the government remains committed to working with partners across society to tackle loneliness, including for people over 75. Earlier this year we announced new action to support social connection during the Covid-19 pandemic, including new funding for loneliness charities, guidance for the public, and the new Tackling Loneliness Network.

Fraud: Telephone Services

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to stop older people from being targeted by scam telephone calls.

Baroness Barran: The Government recognises that nuisance and scam calls can be particularly stressful and damaging for the most vulnerable in society. The Government has taken a range of actions to reduce the number of nuisance calls including banning cold calls from pension providers unless the consumer has explicitly agreed to be contacted. We have been working with National Trading Standards to supply call blocking devices to some of the most vulnerable in society.The Government has been running the Take Five fraud awareness campaign designed to urge the public and businesses to take time to consider whether a situation they find themselves in is genuine. The campaign equips the public to more confidently challenge fraudulent approaches – be they face-to-face, on the telephone or online. Specific advice on phone scams and phishing can be found at www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk.With regards to fraud more generally, the government has recently launched a gov.uk page that contains easy-to-follow steps to spot potential frauds and to avoid them. It also signposts advice and support to those who may unfortunately have fallen victim. This page can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-fraud-and-cyber-crime

Music: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support self–employed and freelance workers within the live music industry.

Baroness Barran: Our world-beating live music industry would be nothing without the people who work in it, and we are working hard to help provide financial support to freelancers in this sector.Over two thirds of eligible people in the cultural sectors have benefitted from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). We’ve supported the self-employed with over £13 billion in grants and the Chancellor has increased the generosity of the scheme from 40% to 80% of people’s profits for November, in order to reflect recent changes to the furlough scheme. This also increases the total level of the grant from 40% to 55% of trading profits for 1 November 2020 to 31 January 2020.In addition, more businesses will be able to access additional support as deadlines for applications for government-backed loan schemes and the Future Fund have been further extended until 31 January 2021.The Arts Council England has made £119 million available to individuals, with £23.1 million already distributed and £95.9 million currently available to apply for via open funds.The £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund will benefit freelancers, because it will invest in organisations and help them to reopen, and restart performances. So far, over £500m has been announced from the Culture Recovery Fund to protect cultural organisations across England, almost a fifth of which has gone to the music sector.

Gyms and Swimming Pools: Coronavirus

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the impact of swimming pool and gym closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Barran: Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus. That’s why we made sure that people could exercise at least once a day even during the height of lockdown - and why we opened up grassroots sport and leisure facilities as soon as it was safe to do so.As announced by the Prime Minister on Saturday from Thursday until Wednesday 2 November there will be significant restrictions on some sectors of the economy including the closure of indoor and outdoor leisure. Outdoor gyms and playgrounds will remain open. Exercise and recreation outdoors will be allowed with your household or on your own with one person from another household.It is not possible to isolate the specific impact of swimming pool and gym closures on physical activity levels because people can substitute this with other activities such as running and cycling.

Public Libraries: Finance

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide more funding for public libraries.

Baroness Barran: The Government is providing local councils with unprecedented support during the pandemic with a £4.3 billion package, including £3.7 billion which is not ringfenced and £600 million to support social care providers. This is part of a wider package of almost £28 billion which the Government has committed to support local areas, with funding going to councils, businesses and communities. The 2020 Spending Review will look at pressures facing the sector and provide them with the certainty they need to aid financial planning.

Public Lending Right: Coronavirus

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide increased fundingfor the Public Lending Right during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Barran: The Government has recently completed a consultation on the Public Lending Right (PLR) Scheme rate per loan for the 2019 -20 PLR scheme year. The consultation sought views on the proposal to increase the rate per loan. We intend laying a Statutory Instrument to vary the rate per loan later this year to ensure eligible authors can receive payments by the end of this financial year.There are no plans to increase the overall amount of the PLR central fund. The British Library administers the PLR Scheme on behalf of the Government and the funding level of the PLR would form part of the consideration of British Library’s overall funding at a future spending review.

Broadband

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are on track to meet their target of full-fibre, gigabit-capable broadband by 2025.

Baroness Barran: The Government remains committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity as soon as possible. Our ambition is to deliver this by 2025. We recognise that this is a challenging ambition. We support industry’s plans to deliver gigabit broadband to the most commercial parts of the UK (c.80% of the country) and will continue to take action to remove barriers to deployment to help them deliver this by 2025.Building Digital UK (BDUK) is currently in the process of mobilising the new £5 billion UK Gigabit Programme which was announced in the Spring Budget. Procurements will commence in 2021.According to Thinkbroadband (https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/) as of 27 October, coverage at UK premises for different broadband speeds is currently:Superfast (30Mbps) = 96.50%Ultrafast (100Mbps) = 63.27%Gigabit (1,000Mbps) = 27.52%Full Fibre (Gigabit+) = 17.49%Virgin Media are in the process of activating gigabit services across their entire network by the end of 2021, and this currently covers over 52% of the UK. BT Openreach and CityFibre also have multi-billion pound fibre rollout programmes underway so a leap in gigabit coverage during 2021 is anticipated. This planned build predominantly covers urban areas so DCMS’s focus is on stimulating build in the more rural and disadvantaged areas of the UK where the commercial market will not build unaided.The government has invested significant amounts in digital infrastructure over the last decade. The DCMS portfolio of active projects is currently c.£4 billion (detailed below) and in the Spring Budget, a further £5 billion of investment was announced for the hardest to reach areas of the UK. More details regarding the programme will follow in the Autumn Spending Review.

Third Sector: Coronavirus

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support the voluntary and community sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Barran: Charities play an invaluable role in this country, which is why we have committed an unprecedented £750 million in targeted funding so that they can continue their vital work through the coronavirus outbreak. This included £60 million which was distributed via the Barnett formula to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to support charities on the frontline of the response.The Government also matched public donations to the BBC’s “Big Night In” charity appeal, with over £70 million being distributed by Comic Relief, Children In Need and the National Emergencies Trust to charities on the frontline. Our £85 million Community Match Challenge has secured an additional £85m of match funding from charities, funders and philanthropists for good causes.An additional £150 million from dormant bank and building society accounts has been unlocked to help charities, social enterprises and individuals in vulnerable financial circumstances during the coronavirus outbreak.Charities, social enterprises and other types of civil society organisations, have benefited from wider Government support such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and are eligible for the new Job Support Scheme.

Football: Coronavirus

Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further torecent comments by the chairman of Accrington Stanley Football Club that "clubs below the Premier League have never been at higher risk", what plans they haveto encourage the Premier League to provide financial support to struggling clubs in the English Football League.

Baroness Barran: Football clubs are often the bedrock of our local communities and it is vital they are protected. That is why the Government has provided an unprecedented financial support package for businesses, which many football clubs have benefitted from.We have worked closely with football throughout the pandemic, including getting the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) back behind closed doors, which released vital broadcasting revenue. Having spent heavily in the recent transfer window, professional football has the means to support clubs through the pandemic and we continue to urge the EFL and Premier League to finalise a deal as soon as possible.

Newspaper Press and Radio : Coronavirus

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to support local independent (1) newspapers, and (2) radio stations, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Barran: Local news coverage provides a vital service - supplying information about local public affairs, holding local decision-makers to account, and providing a forum for community discussion. The Government’s manifesto recognises their role, committing to “support local and regional newspapers, as vital pillars of communities and local democracy”.It has been an absolute priority to ensure we do all we can to support local news outlets during this crisis, as well as supporting commercial and community radio. This includes bringing forward the commencement of zero-rating of VAT on e-newspapers to May 2020, and reaching agreement with Arqiva, the UK’s TV and radio transmission provider, to provide six months discount charges which has benefited small local commercial radio stations.Government also worked to ensure local media could operate during the Covid-19 lockdown period. We designated journalists and other key media ancillary staff as ‘key workers’; issued guidance to local authorities on the importance of newspaper delivery; took steps to ensure the use of ‘keyword blocklisting’ technology was not disproportionately limiting news publishers’ online advertising revenues for Covid-19 related stories; and implemented a significant public information campaign, using local and national press and commercial radio to extend the reach of these campaigns.We continue to work closely with local news organisations to assess the effectiveness of our media support measures and the impact of Coronavirus-related government policy, including the current tiered restrictions, on their ability to continue supporting their communities.